Category Archives: Growing Herbs

Rosemary How easy it is to take rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) for granted. Once it is in the garden it is just there – doesn’t demand water, doesn’t over-grow everything, and doesn’t mind heat or cold. Winter is a fine time to become reacquainted with this herb. It flavours succulent roasts, can be added to bathwater […]

Winter edible flowers There is a simple antidote for the winter blues. Use edible flowers in salads, snacks and desserts as a colourful and tasty ingredient. Do’s and don’ts As with vegetables and herbs, don’t use pesticides or else use products labelled for edible crops, making sure you observe the safety period. Pick the flowers […]

Preparing your winter herb garden Pull up summer annuals like basil, dill, borage, to make space for winter herbs or veggies. Add borage plants to the compost heap; the leaves are full of minerals and also act as a compost activator Replenish the soil with compost, adding it to beds where summer annuals have grown […]

Oriental greens When there is not much green stuff in winter, Oriental greens step in and fill the gap very nicely. The leaves have a mustard tang, to a greater or lesser degree, and can be used in salads, on sandwiches, in stir fries and soups. Plant in a position that receives winter sun and […]

The power of parsley If a herb can be described as humble, then parsley fits the bill. This underrated herb is usually part of every herb garden but is often only used as a garnish. To give parsley its due here are 10 ways to use it – in addition to its ability to pretty-up […]

The best flowering herbs Herb flowers are generally small and delicate and that is their charm. Yet they still make a show when plants are massed in the garden or blooms are cut and bunched with other flowers for natural looking flower arrangements. Herbal fragrances tend to be aromatic and this makes them useful for […]

Grouping herbs according to water requirements Group your herbs together according to their water requirements to minimize the need to water all the time and to improve their growing conditions. Herbs that require less water and can grow in full sun include: lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage and bay leaf. These are woody, hardier plants. Herbs […]

Mulching Mulching your flower beds with grass clippings is a great way to practise recycling in your garden and reusing all those nutrients that is now available in the foliage. Remember not to make it thicker than 2cm, otherwise it compacts and becomes slimy. If you have already done some grass clippings in one area […]

Worm Bins What are you doing with the left over vegetables, fruit, eggshells, egg boxes, shredded newspapers, loose tea, tea bags, coffee grinds, cereal and oatmeal? They make the perfect food for earthworms in Worm Bins. Worm Bins have for a long time been used to convert kitchen waste into a fertiliser called ‘vermicompost’ which […]

Healthy Soil with More Compost Improve the structure of your soil as well as the absorption of nutrients by plants by adding more compost. Farmers who experience decrease in yield, in spite of applying more fertilizer will see drastic increases after using more organic material mixed into the soil. This highlights the fact that the […]